Animal Production Unit
In developing countries about three quarters of the poor live in rural areas and two thirds of these are livestock owners. Unfortunately, because of the generally low productivity in their livestock, such countries are not able to cope with the dramatic increase of demand in livestock products that is driven by the growth of human population and urbanization. Therefore, for poverty alleviation and food security in developing countries, there is an absolute need for increasing livestock products. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to improve nutrition and reproductive efficiency of animals and to control important diseases, particularly those of transboundary nature, as for example, foot-and-mouth disease(FMD), rinderpest(RP), peste-des-petits ruminants(PPR) and African swine fever(ASF).
Development and exploitation of biotechnology in general and in particular the use of radio-isotope-based and related techniques play a major role in the characterization of genetic material and the understanding of function at a basic research level and also have many practical applications in animal nutrition, animal reproduction and disease control. Biotechnology offers a great contribution and potential to the so called "livestock revolution" where the increasing demand for livestock and livestock products is foreseen. For that, radio-isotopes-based and related techniques are useful tools for the study of genes and genomes and their application.
The Animal Production Unit of the FAO/IAEA Agriculture and Biotechnology Laboratory and the Animal Production and Health Section of the FAO/IAEA Joint Division work together through the FAO/IAEA Animal Production and Health Subprogramme to assist in the development and use of these methods for improving livestock productivity.
The main roles of the Animal Production Unit are to:
- Provide adaptive research in support of Coordinated Research Programmes (CRP) and Technical Cooperation Projects of the Subprogramme
- Provide other services in support of the objectives of the Subprogramme such as technical support and external quality assurance
- Provide training for Member State scientists and technicians (individual or group training programmes on the application of molecular techniques in Animal disease diagnosis and animal genetics)
Currently, the Animal Production Unit is using nuclear and related techniques in:
The development of tests (ELISA and Nucleic Acid Detection/PCR):
In support of the global rinderpest eradication programme, the APU is developing new ELISA tests for specific diagnosis of Peste des Petits Ruminants and its differentiation from rinderpest, test based on the use of recombinant antigens expressed in the baculovirus vector system.
The stamping out policy, i.e. culling all animals in the infected area as the main mean for eradication of epizootic animal diseases is now less accepted by the public. The development and use of vaccines with companion test that enable differentiation between infected and vaccinated animals is a new area of research for effective controls of animals diseases. For the support of the FMD control programme, the APU is involved in developing a test that enable the differentiation between vaccinated and infected animals. The test will be based on the use of recombinant FMD non-structural protein (NSP), protein which is not present in purified killed FMD vaccine.
The discovery and characterization and application of molecular markers for:
- Livestock genetic conservation programmes applying DNA microsatellite analysis,
- Traits of economic importance (gastrointestinal parasite resistance in sheep).
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Red Masai sheep resistant to helminths (Photo:ILRI) |
The Unit produces an annual Activities Report which is available for downloading together with the biannual Newsletter on the Sub-Programme's present and future activities.
For further information please contact the Head, Animal Productione Unit.